Oculus VR teases Rift consumer release for Q1 2016

Oculus VR, the Facebook-owned company behind the crowd-funded Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, has finally offered a rough launch date for its consumer release: the first quarter of 2016.

Prior to its acquisition by Facebook Oculus VR turned to venture capital and crowd-funding to produce the Oculus Rift Developer Kit, a low-resolution head-tracking and three-dimensional display system primarily targeting gamers. This was followed by a higher-resolution Developer Kit 2, but despite more cash investment and a buy-out by Facebook the rumoured April launch date for the consumer-friendly version - a rumour Oculus VR neither confirmed nor denied at the time - has been and gone with nothing to show.

Now, Oculus VR is confident enough in its plans to offer a launch window for fans eager to get their hands on the non-developer build. In a blog post, the company claimed it was 'incredibly excited' to announce at the Oculus Rift consumer kit will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2016, with pre-orders due to open later this year. 'The Oculus Rift builds on the presence, immersion, and comfort of the Crescent Bay prototype with an improved tracking system that supports both seated and standing experiences, as well as a highly refined industrial design, and updated ergonomics for a more natural fit,' the company claimed of the final design.

Hinting at a formal unveiling to follow at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) event, Oculus VR promised to release technical specifications for the new headset design next week. Thus far, pricing has not been revealed.